OMG! A Washer and Dryer!

Please join us in saying HOORAY! for the washer and dryer being installed this last week. It's so exciting! No more trips to the laundromat for the monitors this winter! If you see Ike around, please thank him for installing the equipment.

For the Birds

Perhaps it is all the birds flying overhead these days on their way to warmer climes, or perhaps the pigeon is the new owl. Whatever the inspiration, birds are hot in the Lillstreet Textile studio. I wanted to share some of the beautiful prints being generated during open studio over the weekend.

Pigeon prints by Jordana Robinson!

Kate O'Leary's dancing swan!

My sparrows in flight.

This week in the studio- Stencil prints!

This was the first week of classes for our first time screen printers, and we also had a stencil screenprinting workshop on Saturday afternoon.  Check out some of the great work from these classes.  I love using stencil printing to layer cloth.  I encourage everyone to be inventive using tape, stickers, and contact paper to create one-of-a-kind stencils.

Ruby Tuesday

Welcome to Ruby Tuesday! I wanted to share some of the beautiful work being done by Ruby Barnes whose most recent work has been inspired by vintage barkcloth.


Last night, however, Ruby switched gears a bit and printed bleach on a found shower curtain that she had overdyed. She got some wild results. Why did it turn green? who knows, but it looks freakin' awesome.

BEST IN SHOW!

Congratulations to Camille Canales who won Best in Show and Curaors Choice Artist at this weekend's Around The Coyote! Here are a few photos from the event:

A-line skirts everywhere

Elvira used fabric her own hand printed fabric to construct her A-line skirt in Sewing 1 this week.

Purses, Purses, Purses

The ladies in first time sewing finished constructing their reversible purses this week.

Camille Canales at Around the Coyote!

Camille Canales, screen-printing and embroidery teacher, has a few pieces up this weekend as part of the Around the Coyote festival in Wicker Park. The info, and a little note from Camille follows:Hello everyone! I am excited to announce that I will be participating in this weekend's Around the Coyote Fall Art Festival. The festival highlights new and emerging artists working in all disciplines. I will be showcasing new artworks, including paintings and embroideries. Be sure to check out my personal favorites, "Grass Ants" and "Feather Tree." I will be in booth #10 at the 1275 N Milwaukee location. This is the near the Ashland/DIvision/Milwaukee intersection, which is right at the Division blue line el stop. The intersection is Paulina and Milwaukee. Feel free to email or contact me with any questions about directions. The festival runs throughout the weekend, Friday night- Sunday.

www.aroundthecoyote.org "Opening Night Party Ticket: $15 for the public/$7.50 for family and friends of exhibiting artists if purchased in advance at Website or at the office. The opening night party ticket includes performances, food and drink. There is no limit to the amount of tickets you can purchase in advance for your friends and family. Festival Day Pass: $10 (includes all visual art and performances at all venues on Saturday and Sunday) To purchase Opening Night Party Tickets or Festival Passes for your friends and family in advance, order on our website using code ARTIST, stop by, or call us at 773.342.6777 Around the Coyote 1815-25 W. Division St. Chicago, IL 60622. Full-priced tickets can also be purchased by credit card at our website. Tickets are also sold at the door throughout the festival. Tickets are good for any performance throughout the weekend while seating is available. We recommend getting to any performance 30 minutes early to assure seating. Tickets held at Will Call can be picked up at 1275 N. Milwaukee during the festival public hours."

Prints and the Revolution

Monday Night Football has got nothing on Monday Night Screenprinting Class, so many awesome prints going on last night. This week, I wanted to highlight the work of Jackie Pogue who has been creating the most beautiful patterns and color combinations on dish towels, napkins, even muslin! Please enjoy:

Go Carole!

Carole Frances Lung, who jump started the sewing classes here at Lillstreet a few years back, has just accepted a full time teaching gig in California, and is taking the world by storm (and airplane) with Frau Fiber, her alter-ego. You can read all about it in her new blog: here
I'm so excited that she is doing well- her enthusiasm and energy for reuse, criticism of sweat shops, and playful energetic making is a rare combo and is so infectious!

Felt Bead Making Workshop Pictures

Akemi Nakano Cohn taught another felt bead making workshop this last Saturday. The process of making these is so much fun- I teach a similar workshop from time to time and this year I think I'm going to collect all the beads I've made to make a garland for the mantle. If you're interested in felting this fall, we've got one more Flat Felt Workshop on November 7th. Hope you all are enjoying the sudden winter weather.

Just for fun

Kat and I had fun the other day posing in my new mittens I made out of old sweaters! There are some nice ones for the every day occasion. But when you have thought of something clever, are hatching a devious deed, or hiding from the law, there is the "Sinister Mittens" - Lisa, the knitting teacher.

It is sweater weather!!!

The chill in the air has brought out the wool from my stash! Knitting season is officially here!

My first time knitters are all busy little bees making their first scarves. In this class they are learning to knit, purl, garter stitch, stockinet stitch, reverse stockinet stitch,

ribbing, and to top it off the last project is a

hat knit in the round ending using double pointed needles!

"I love the feeling of the yarn running thru my fingers,and in the end you have something you made yourself."

This is the hat and scarf we make in class.

Gents, this is not just a craft for women. Did you know historically that MEN were the first people to hone the knitting craft. It was made popular by shepherds in the fields tending to their flocks. It was something that kept them from being board to death while watching sheep. I am sure this is also where the phrase "counting sheep" came from. So knitting kept them awake and alert so if any predators were to come they could then protect the heard. This in turn, lead to a social movement in the textile industry known as the Ludites, where men who were tailors, became irate at the state of the mechanized textile machines and called for the support of hand crafted work. This term has colloquially become to know as anyone who is opposed to technology. I dunno, my knitting software for designing is really handy!

So fellers, come out and learn something new! Or if you are already a hand crafter, come and add to your repituar.

Your Knitting Teacher,

Lisa Whiting

Just in Time for Fall- Felt Beads!

Just in time for this cozy weather Chicago is having these days, we've got another felt bead making workshop this Saturday from 10-2. Hope you can make it! The price is right, and it's a fun class to begin making holiday gifts like bracelets, garland, and little felt snowmen. See you Saturday!

(Making) Work Work Work

Good Morning, Lillstreeters! Check out what the Pattern Design class was working on last night.

Shannon Thompson worked on this lovely pattern from a stencil of a cactus design she burned on a screen.

Ruby Barnes screening a panel, she's cleverly applying a pattern over stripes, adding complexity and structure to her design.

Oh, Elizabeth.

Allison Rose's serendipitous and gorgeous drip stripes on silk dupioni.

Mera Mistry's eerie and lovely branch pattern, just in time for Halloween. Couldn't you see this on a duvet cover?!

United Felt

Frances Krueger-Jackson, a cherished monitor in the Textile Studio and a prolific felter wanted me to share this with you on this very special occasion:

First Annual International Day of Felt

Felters across the world were asked to create a work of art out of felt in the theme colors of Red through Yellow on the color wheel. They were then to hang it outside their studios, places of business, or outside of art centers for the world to see on Saturday October 3rd, 2009 and thus raise awareness of the art of felt-making and to honor the United Nations pronouncement of 2009 being the international year of natural fibers. To see more information and more felt go to United Felt's website at http://www.feltunited.com/

I hope you enjoy my hanging that I made in honor of this day.

Thank You
Frances

Behold Frances' lovely felted piece

Sewing 1 finished their owls last night

The First time sewing class got very creative last night with their aprons.